Woman’s 20 year ‘tummy ache’ was actually 11cm tube left behind after operation

Posted On:   16 February 2017

Watford, UK – 26th February, 2017: The NHS worker, who has remained anonymous, has been awarded a five-figure compensation payment over the botched operation. As part of her operation to fit a gastric band for weight loss in 1994, she was fitted with two surgical drains to remove fluid.

However, only one was removed, meaning half a foot of corrugated plastic was sewn back up inside her.

She spoke to doctors afterwards to say her pain was still severe, even telling her GP she had a feeling of ‘a sharp rod-like object’. But doctors dismissed it as ‘a dissolvable stitch’ or a sore area common after surgery which would both heal over time.


The woman, from Watford, said: “Having worked for the NHS for 23 years I am well aware that accidents happen, but this was pure negligence – there was nothing accidental about it.”

In October 2010, she underwent revision surgery which enabled her to lose weight, but it made the niggling pain worse.


It wasn’t until having an X-ray almost three years later that the pain was revealed to be due to a foreign object and it was removed in June 2014.

Describing the incident, the woman said: “The procedure seemed to work and I began to lose weight – however throughout this time I still experienced the pain and discomfort. I did not go to see my GP about the continued pain, I just learnt to live with it because I was led to believe that there was nothing that could be done.”

After finding out what had happened she claimed for medical negligence against University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust due to the ‘never event’ occurring.

Sarah Johnson, Head of Medical Negligence at Heptonstalls Solicitors, said: “The situation that has occurred with our client is what is deemed as a never event, meaning that this should never happen.

Unfortunately, it did happen and what has exacerbated this situation is that, despite our client repeatedly complaining of pain and discomfort, it was not discovered for almost two decades. This is clearly an unacceptable situation and she rightly deserved answers.”

Source: http://metro.co.uk/2017/02/26/womans-20-year-tummy-ache-was-actually-12cm-tube-left-behind-after-operation-6474261/